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The OFFICIAL Noble Fidelity L-85 LCRS In-ceiling Loudspeaker Thread

I recently added a 5.1 in-ceiling loudspeaker system to my master bedroom consisting of Noble Fidelity's L-85 LCRS loudspeakers. The L-85 LCRS is Noble's largest, round, in-ceiling loudspeaker that features a 15-degree downward rake making them far more directional than traditional, downward firing, in-ceiling loudspeakers. The L-85 LCRS loudspeaker uses Kevlar ala Bowers & Wilkins in its bass/midrange driver which gives it a slight yellow tint through its paintable metal grill.

I reviewed the entire system in Home Theater Review and had this to say:

"Not wanting to waste any time I began my evaluation of the L-85 LCRS with some two-channel music courtesy of The Matrix soundtrack (Maverick) and Rammstein's "Du Hast." Right off the bat the L-85 LCRS proved to be explosive, possessing lightening fast reflexes that made for a dynamic performance that came from nowhere and shook me off guard. Now, the GoldenEar ForceField 4 subwoofer did aide the L-85 LCRS's performance in this and other regards, but nevertheless, the L-85 LCRS's attack was visceral. At high volumes the L-85 LCRS's soft dome tweeter retained its composure, failing to compress or shout the way other budget dome tweeters can and often do. The L-85 LCRS's midrange was precise, articulate and a touch forward and just ever so slightly on the lean side (which may have been more the fault of the Audyssey program) that gave the music a more energetic vibe. Despite its slightly forward nature, the L-85 LCRS's overall sound was a lot closer to that of a large open baffle or, dare I say, panel speaker than a traditional cone and dome design; no boxy resonances, bloat or romanticism here."

Hey Andrew, That's quite a review. I hadn't really considered in-wall/in-ceiling speakers until this post steered me to your review. You know what I'm looking at on the electronics end. Do you think these would be a good alternative to the Golden Ear Super Sat-50s or the Paradigm Millennia 20s? And is it reasonable to combine these in-ceiling speakers for the surrounds with the L-82 for left/right mounted in the walls? My room is a little over 2100 sq. ft. i'm probably over powered and don't have enough speaker to fill the space but I'm with Jerry on this. I spend far more time with my partner and my dog wanting to listen to music on my Apple TV in our family room with a glass of wine than I do in my listening room with my B & W towers blasting the latest remaster of some CD while sitting in my perfect listening spot. (Just don't tell him or he'll make me push the towers back against the wall.)

All of the Noble speakers are timbre matched to sound the same so the in-walls should mate beautifully with the in-ceilings. I use the in-ceilings as rears with my floorstanding speakers as mains. If you're not talking about getting the GoldenEar TritonTwo loudspeakers than the Noble Fidelity speakers should match the Sat-50s in terms of quality, output etc.

Thanks, Andrew. Definitely planning on a subwoofer. And I sadly don't have the floor space for Tritons or any floor speakers. We need something that kind of disappears into the room, so I am kind of limited to something in the Sat-50 form factor or an in-wall/on-wall arrangement. I think with what I'm looking at there are no bad choices and they'll all be better than what I have now, which is the speakers built into the Panasonic Flat screen.

Depending on your in-wall budget you may want to check out Episode's in-wall speaker offerings. I know writer Sean Killebrew has 'em and is totally in love. Just another option to consider if you're so inclined.

Cool. Thanks. I will check those out. Budget hasn't exactly been the issue, although Paradigm Signature W5s are probably a bit beyond me if they can still be found/ Usually one can only get so expensive with satellite based systems like those from Golden Ear. But I'm all for the best sound possible, within reason. What model does Sean have?
Edit: nevermind that last question. I'm reading his review now.
Edit 2: OK, great review. I have read through pretty much everything on the Episode website. The stats don't actually match up to those listed for Noble Fidelity but I know stats don't really tell the story. However, one, speaker efficiency, makes me wonder if the true advantage of the Episodes, the ability to really fill the room, would be untapped on my system with it's 125 w/channel, as the Episode speaker efficiency is around 87db vs. over 90 for the Noble Fidelity. Or am I misunderstanding the way this works?

I recently purchased a set (5+2) of Noble's in wall speakers after spending months researching the alternatives. In short, there is only one drawback in my decision - I now need to replace my second home theater system with Noble's speakers! The speakers are absolutely terrific and just as good as the support provided by the company. If you have any doubts as to whether the Noble is the way to go - rest assured, I am confident that you will be more than satisfied.

The first time spoke to Greg Ford, CEO of Noble fidelity, I mentioned to him that I was an audio guy first. He assured me that Noble's products were up to the task. He was right. The sound is outstanding for music and equally satisfying for home theatre. The speakers are articulate without being dry or thin. They are uncolored and musical. The sound is rich and full. The musical experience is rich, tight and very lifelike. For home theatre, BluRay and Dolby encoded material is as good as you get in your local state-of-the-art cinema. When a door slams, a glass breaks, or a explosion happens on the television screen, you experience it in the room.

I bet I contacted Greg over one dozen times as I needed advice and counsel through a journey of restoring a historic home. Not once did he fail to take my call or call me back, even when he was out of town on business. He worked closely with my builder, who had never had the kind of hand-holding which was provided, much less from the CEO of the company. It is rare, dare I say unheard of in today's wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am environment of drive-by commercialism to find such wonderful high-end products designed and manufactured by a passionate company, whose CEO is "out front" with his customers at every step..planning, design, and product placement. I'm blown away by your company and by your products.

Thank you for your gracious time and advice...we are enjoying the music every day.

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